[Paddlewise] Smoke on the Water

Case of the pot-head paddlers:

Don't know if this news item showed up yet on PW, but there were reports the
other day that two PWC operators had run into trouble after leaving Sidney,
BC for Victoria to the south, at 10:00 pm. Weather was fine. One operator
made it to the beach north of Oak Bay, and the other was reported missing by
the first. Too weird I figured, sounds way off. Then, a kayak showed up on
some rocks near the same beach, no paddler, loaded with 15 or so bricks of
Marijuana (near the area Gordin describes in his last trip report, an area
of rough currents).  Well, yeah right, a PWC incident indeed. And another
missing PWC operator, yeah sure. After the expensive and extensive search
and rescue operation was called off the next day or so, someone finally
figured out the washed-ashore PWC operator was the kayak owner and was
indeed likely smuggling pot across Haro Strait at night in his kayak,
powered by a small motor. The paddler is from the US. He's under arrest.
Another paddler, the first paddler's bud, was seen unloading a kayak nearby
shortly after the initial incident. He got away.

Doug Lloyd
Victoria BC
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